Detective Story

Jim McLeod is a police detective at New York City's 21st Precinct. He has a black and white view of the law, where he does not tolerate anything considered criminal. If he could, he would act as judge and jury for any case in which he is involved, prosecuting to the max. As such, he, if the case was his, would probably prosecute the naive young woman caught shoplifting, she who is waiting at the precinct to be processed for night court. He definitely has it in for Charley and Lewis, two burglary suspects each with a long rap sheet. And he even persuades a victim to press charges against a remorseful young man for a first offense of theft, even though the victim, under the advice of Jim's more compassionate partner Lou Brody, was going to drop the charges since he knows the man, knows him to be basically good, understands the reason for the crime, and was going to be reimbursed for the amount of the theft. Jim has caused issue for the precinct chief, Lieutenant Monaghan, for his heavy handed approach to dealing with his suspects, and even witnesses who can't or won't support his cases toward his end goal of prosecution. The latest target for Jim is Karl Schneider, who the courts have previously acquitted for lack of evidence, but who he is certain has committed criminal acts. But the case against Schneider takes a turn when Jim's loving wife Mary is brought in, she who is implicated in those acts. The question becomes whether Jim's view of the world will change if Mary was indeed involved, regardless of if it was for good reason.